The Last Family Member
by dead2theworld
Summary: It seemed like the Mikaelson family were complete, however there was one family memeber Klaus did not manage to dagger. And now that the Original family have been reunited will she return and make them complete or is the danger too great?
1. Chapter 1

Isabella Mikaelson is Elijah's twin sister.

**Isabella Mikaelson POV**

As I stared down at the different sketches of my family members, my need for them made itself known in my heart. I ached to be reunited with my siblings once again. I looked down at the sketch of Nik and remembered all the trinkets he made for me when we were kids. I recalled all the stories Finn told me. I reminisced about all the great talks I shared with Rebekah when we were teenagers together. I laughed at the great mischief me and Kol got up to around the village. But most importantly I missed my twin brother Elijah. Inseparable we were as children, we did everything together. He was the closest to me out of all our siblings.

After Esther, our mother, turned us and we realised the true nature of what we were, we split up. Mikael, our father, swore to end us all so from that moment on we all went into hiding. I saw Kol and Finn from time to time, never together though, which made me realise that our family might never be reunited. Last I heard of Nik and Rebekah was in Chicago some many years ago, 1922 if I recall correctly. They were bonding over a young vampire, Stefan Salvatore and Rebekah had taken quite a shining to him. It was nice to see my younger sister feeling almost whole again after the destruction of our mother and the separation of our family. When I realised Mikael was hunting Nik I began to watch out for him. I saw he was in Chicago as well, having successfully tracked him down; I sent a warning to Nik in the shape of a jacket, Mikael's old hunting jacket. Nik wanted to leave but Rebekah refused, wanting to spend her days with Stefan. I was horrified to see him dagger her. It appeared that times have changed and family means little to him now.

Not wanting to be caught myself, I fled. I travelled all over America, choosing different places on the map to live and create a new story for myself. I'm in a place called Forks now. As stunningly beautiful the views are, it is incredibly dull. The humans live very sheltered lives and the supernatural creatures here are just vampires and werewolves gone wrong. They were mistakes made by witches, long ago. Very annoying creatures. Two have taken quite a fancy to me and it seems war is upon me. These pitiful creatures think they are monsters! The vampires sparkle in the sunlight and the werewolves are slow and dull when in wolf form and in human form. These supernatural creatures lead just as sheltered lives as the humans do. It's all so boring I want to scream!

I feel like my different lives are like plays. In this life I am playing the role of a human teenager called Isabella 'Call me Bella' Swan. I compelled the Chief of Forks to believe I am his daughter and the rest of the town to go along with it. I am controlling the town like a puppet on a string and the sparkling vampires suspect nothing. How unobservant! This boy obsesses over me day and night yet he can't see what is right in front of him. Sadly I can't compel these creatures so when I eventually leave they will remember everything. Maybe even try to follow me. They will die if they try. They have not seen true monsters yet.


	2. Chapter 2

I was free. As I streaked through the lush green trees, I felt free. I felt like I could do anything. The breeze barely touched me; I was too fast for that. I left no marks on the ground, not me. Too fast for that too. When spending an eternity in hiding, you grab any bit of pure happiness when you can. My moments are when I am running and when I am hunting. I'm a nice person at heart, but I will not ignore my nature like the Cullen's. I will happily kill those I call my prey. Generally it's people who are stupid enough to annoy me. Like this Newton child from high school. He's my next target, but I won't waste my freedom on him. No, I can kill him when the Cullen's are around.

Edward and is possessive family of idiots have finally gone hunting for the weekend. I'm meant to be at their house, being baby sat by Rosalie. How humiliating! I would rather drive a white oak stake through my heart than be protected by such a weak race of vampire. I never showed up and Rosalie never came looking for me. We made a mutual agreement. I stay out of her life, she stays out of mine.

I leapt over the lake in the middle of the forest and carried on my run, dodging animal and tree. The town and everything in it and around it was my playground.

Suddenly, I felt a kind of tugging at my heart. I stopped my run with a gasp and put my hand over my chest. I expected it to hurt but it just tugged gently, over and over again, kind of like a heart beat. Tug-tug, tug-tug, tug-tug. I knew what it meant. It both thrilled me and scared me to the very core. I didn't know which one it was but one of my siblings was in this forest. They were seeking out me. They had almost found me. It was too late to hide, so I opened all my senses and waited, frozen.


	3. Chapter 3

Time seemed to stand still as I did. The breeze stopped and every animal around me seemed to disappear in an instant, like they knew what was coming. I waited. Then, bushes shook, twigs snapped and a figure emerged to my right. I turned instantly and fling myself at them, pining them against a tree. I studied the face of my sister with hostility and barely controlled glee. Rebekah flung her arms around me as best she could and hugged me tightly. A single tear trickled from her bright eyes and a stunningly beautiful smile broke across her face. I smiled back and held her close, running my hand through her hair, soothing her as the tears and sobs became more frequent. I kissed her warm cheek then brought her head back to look at me.

I wasn't crying, I was laughing. "Oh my beautiful baby sister!" I gushed. "It's so amazing to see you!"

She gave me a stunning smile through her tears. I wiped them away with my thumbs and a few kisses. "Please don't cry, you know I hate it when you cry."

She took a breath and managed to get herself into control. It was very rare for my sister to show such a deep emotion so I began to worry that something was wrong. I was confused as to why she was here anyway.

"Why are you here, Rebekah?"

She sighed. "Nik sent me."

I wasn't surprised. I had been keeping tabs on Nik ever since I found out he had been daggering my siblings. I knew what he was up to in Mystic Falls; he had found his precious doppelganger. Ever since our mother told us of Niklaus' real father, he had been adamant that he would break the curse mother put on him and create the 'master race' he is now so obsessed with. I know he has broken the curse. After that I lost track of him. I really didn't care that much anyway. They were toys, pets. Things to keep Klaus amused for this part of eternity.

"What does he want with me?" I asked. Rebekah shook her head.

"No, Nik sent me but he is not the reason I came. Our mother is."

I gasped. "Mother?"

Rebekah nodded. "Our mother is alive! Some meddling vampires woke her from one of the coffins Nik locked our family in. She is alive and with us and wants us all to be a family again. Everyone is at our new home in Mystic Falls." She gushed. "Everyone except you." She added with a sad smile.

My instincts kicked in instantly. "How do I know this is not a trap?"

Rebekah gasped and a look of pure hurt crossed her face. Suddenly it was gone and in its place, her poker face. "Have I ever given you any reason to doubt me, sister?" She hissed.

"It is not you I doubt. It is Niklaus. He has given me five reasons to doubt him. Five, one for every dagger that was plunged into my family's hearts. How do I know I will not suffer a similar fate?" I said without hesitation. I knew what Nik had become. His hate for Mikael had turned him into something every ugly indeed and I felt as if I did not know him at all.

Back when we were a family, we were everything to one another. The seven of us, including my dead brother Henrik, were always very close, never enjoying separation. Of course, we all had our favourite sibling. I and Elijah were inseparable. Niklaus and Rebekah were extremely close. Kol and Finn were forever causing trouble together and Henrik never left our mothers side. Until he was killed. After his death we all pulled together, tighter than ever. We now realised how easy it would be for us to lose another. That was our ultimate fear. I thought that after we were turned we would stay together and keep each other safe. But no. Our hatred for our father and our sorrow over the lose of our mother was too great for us all to bear, and we separated. I used to think family was everything. Now because of our father, family levels with self preservation. Your family can stab you in the back just as quickly as your enemy.

"Nik did that to save us. He didn't want to lose us!" Rebekah snapped. "Family is everything to him!"

"No! His hybrids are everything to him. Family is second. He knew we disapproved of the curse being broken and the hybrids being born. He knew that if he tried, Elijah, Finn or I would try to stop him! So he did away with us one by one." My temper was beginning to rise. Rebekah knew all this. She agreed with us. Maybe her loyalty to Klaus has clouded her judgement.

Rebekah glared at me. "You may no longer care about family but me and Nik do. The rest of our family has been awoken and we are together. We will continue to be together whether you are with us or not. We can carry on without you but you cannot without us. You will just walk this earth alone. With no purpose. With nothing but the knowledge that there is no end to this eternity. You know as well as I do sister that eternity is too hard to bear when there is nothing at the end of it. We will go on and on for forever and day knowing that it will never end but at least we will be together. If you will not come back for me or Nik, then come back for Elijah. He is nothing without you as you are nothing without him. Don't let him suffer the same fate you will if you do not come back."

She hit a nerve. She knew she had. Elijah was my weak point. I would do anything for him. Family was level to self preservation but Elijah had a whole level to himself above anything else. He would never betray me, as I would never betray him. I would come home for him. At that moment y mind was made up. I would be returning to my place of birth, Mystic Falls.


	4. This is not an update!

**This is not an update!**

**This is just some information about my Fan Fiction. The things happening in it are not following the events of The Vampire Diaries, though some of the events will happen in this fan fiction. **

**The pairings are: **

**Klaus and Caroline**

**Damon and Elena**

**Alaric and Jenna (yes she is alive and yes she is a vampire, Alaric is not evil, nor has his evil side shown up yet though it might. I'm not sure.)**

**Matt and Rebekah? (What do you guys think? I'm not sure.)**

**If Isabella is going to be with anyone it will be a character of my own creation, I think. DEFINITELY NOT EDWARD! I despise the Cullen's so their part in this story will be short and over very quickly, maybe with one or two of them dead. I hate the wolves as well so it will definitely not be Jacob and they will have little or no part at all in this fan fiction.**

**All the Originals are awake apart from Mikael who will enter further along in the story, I think. Elena is a vampire but Rebekah did not send her off a bridge. Damon turned her because they wanted to spend eternity together. They never took down Klaus, Klaus did succeed in breaking the curse and creating the hybrids and Tyler is sired to him. I may kill Tyler off. What do you guys think to that? Please review or send me messages about your preferences. All preferences will be taken into account. If you have any more questions then please do not hesitate to review (I'm checking them regularly) or sending me a message. **

**Chapter four will be up after I've gotten some reviews, hint hint **

**Later people **


	5. Chapter 4

I dashed around the room, collecting all of my belongings and packing them neatly in the brand new suitcases I had kept under the small bed for this very purpose, going home. As the seconds passed by pieces of Isabella 'Call me Bella' Swan's life faded. Since I was in a rush I had no time to compel every human I had met to forget about me in this dreary little town so I deleted all my school records, emptied my locker and compelled my 'friends' to forget about me. Next up came Charlie, the Chief of Police, and my 'father'. According to him I had gone back to live with my 'mother' in Florida. Ironically part of that was true. I am going back to my mother.

The thought thrills me and terrifies me. I have not seen her for so long. I used to cry myself to sleep each night calling out her name. What if she thinks me weak? What if she turns her back on me? We had all seen it with Klaus. It was a very tense and painful time for us all, especially Klaus. We all feared that if we did wrong she would cast us out of her life also. I do not think I could take it if my mother turned away from me after so long of missing her.

I quickly banished these thoughts from my mind. The more I think about it, the more I will not want to go.

I was thinking of moving on now anyway. The town was getting too boring and my 'boyfriend' was getting too possessive and clingy. And he was a virgin! A one hundred year old virgin, I would have laughed if it hadn't meant that I didn't get any sex either. I may be an Original but I still have needs like any normal teenage girl! The thought of being with that wolf Jacob passed through my mind a few times but, seriously, he stinks. I don't know if it's because he doesn't shower or because of all the running around he does or just his species but he really, really stinks. I can hardly bare to be in the same room as him. I was now very glad to be moving on so suddenly.

Though I felt like I was forgetting something, something important. The school was taken care of, my friends were taken care of, Charlie was taken care of, and I couldn't care less if the wolves remembered me. Jacob would get over me, I wasn't his imprint. Then I remembered. It was Sunday. Any second now Edward or a member of his family would come bursting through my window, uninvited, just to seen of I was alive because Rosalie 'hadn't done her job properly'. I groaned. I completely forgot it was Sunday. I was hoping to slip just slip away while they weren't in town, but no! They had to go and screw everything up. Fucking sparkly vampires.

I heard his feet lolloping through the trees and his clumsy jump onto my window sill before I saw him. My window slid open and Edward stepped through, uninvited, to stand behind me. I turned around and glared at him. I was getting very, **very **angry.


	6. Chapter 5

I stared at him for a moment before carrying on with my packing, taking no ore notice of him. I went into the bathroom and put my toiletries in a bag before returning to my room. My suitcases were empty and my drawers and wardrobes were full. "What the fuck?" I hissed.

Edward looked slightly startled at my coarse language but nonetheless stayed strong, looking me in the eye with challenge. "What is the meaning of this Bella?"

By now my hands were shaking with the fury that I've had to keep at bay these last few weeks. Who the hell does he think he is? I am one of the more patient ones of my siblings but even I have limits. He was pushing it very hard and if he carried on then I would see him as a threat that is standing in between me and my family. He would not survive that. "Be very careful, Edward. For you are treading a very fine line!" I threatened. He would not understand. According to him I am a weak little human who needs 24 hour protection from 'a monster'. He was no monster. I was a monster.

Edward frowned. "I leave you in the protection of my sister only to come back and find you did not go to my house. Not only that, but your scent is all over the forest. Now tell me what the hell is going on!" It appears he was getting quite annoyed himself. His eyes were black despite the recent hunting and his frown was cutting deep lines in his pale face. He was hot, but he was a royal dick.

"I'm leaving Edward. I'm going to live with my mother in Florida." I lied weakly. I really couldn't be bothered to explain my existence to him. He would never understand. How do you explain to someone, who thinks they are the worst thing in the world, that they were a spell gone wrong and they are merely the play thing of a witch? His little mind is too crowded by his own self-hatred that he would never fully understand how weak and pathetic he really is.

He took a step forward. "You can't leave. What about us?"

I scoffed. "**What **about us? There is no us. This is my way of saying we are through. Now go away." I waved at him then proceeded to pack all my stuff into the suitcases **again. **I should win a medal for how well I am keeping my anger down. What I really want to do is wring his filthy neck.

"No." A cry of despair came from behind me, before two long pale arms wrapped themselves around me, trapping me, immobilizing me. I lost it. Gripping is right arm, I threw him out of the window and onto the street. I leapt out of the window after him and we both streaked into the forest before any human could see. The minute we were under the cover of the trees I grabbed Edward and threw him on the ground, before giving him a good kick in the back. He cried out in startled pain. He looked at me.

I allowed my true face to show. Veins crept up around my eyes and shadows formed across my face. My canines forced their way out of my mouth and sat on my plump lower lip. He gasped. I snarled then gave him a smile. To others of my kind it would appear vicious, a hunters smile, to my prey it would appear almost sweet and inviting. Edward was captivated. He openly stared at me with lust and fear. I beckoned him closer. Slowly, he stood up on shaking legs and walked towards me. I had him completely under my trance. I opened my arms to him in a welcoming embrace and he responded by holding me close. He sighed happily and buried his face in my hair.

My sweet smile turned vicious and I bit savagely into his neck. Edward screamed. There was no blood for me to suck; I knew that already, I was biting to cause pain. I got a good grip on the side of his neck then tore it from his body. He screamed louder. I dropped his body onto the ground like a doll. I looked at my work with a satisfied smirk. Edward was laid on the ground, arms at an odd angel, face twisted in pain, a good chunk of his neck missing. Said piece of neck was thrown across the clearing with an uninterested toss.

I looked up, suddenly. The shocked faces of his family stared back. I grinned. They were shocked, horrified and very confused. Alice must have had one of her 'visions'.

The gifts these sparkly freaks had were also the works of witches. Only witches should be allowed those kinds of powers but for some reason they wanted to give them to their playthings. I never understood it, myself. Why make a race that could in the end be more powerful than you? I then understood that these gifts could only be used on each other and humans. No other species could be touched by them. Unfortunately, the little pixie brat could see anybody. One of the many reasons why I wanted to and probably would kill her.

I studied the faces of the family that once called me daughter with a laugh. These idiots would never be my family. I saw no amusement in their eyes so I sighed. "For Gods sake, calm down, he's not dead."

Multiple sighs of relief reached my ears and I looked at them in disgust. "If he was dead I would be doing you a favour. He is too deep into self-hatred to be of any use to you or to appreciate you. You deserve better than an immortal teenager with issues." I scoffed. He did not appreciate the bonds of family. He would happily give it all away just for one girl. And a human girl at that! Maybe if it was someone like you. Someone amazing. Bella Swan was not amazing. She was dull and unimportant and now she was dead and gone forever. Edward would just have to move on and forget all about her. Besides, he doesn't know what true love is. Not like the other couples in his family. I can see that they are all very much in love. But not Edward. Well, what are you going to? He can spend the rest of eternity alone for all I care.

I backed away from Edwards's mangled body, turned and walked away. I was finished here. The Cullen's wouldn't be seeing me again.

I ran back up into my room and finished my packing. I grabbed the suitcases and left the house. I threw open the garage door and there stood, in all its glory, an Aston-Martin Vanquish. Like I would go around with only a Chevy for a car! I placed by cases in the back, sat in the driver's seat and turned on the radio. High Way to Hell came on. I smirked. How ironic. I set the car in motion and I was off. Goodbye Forks, hello Mystic Falls.

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Hey guys, what do you think? Review please :)


	7. Chapter 6

I parked outside what appeared to be the local bar. Mystic Falls Grill was the over head sign. This will have to do. I didn't want to go home and reveal myself just yet. First, I wanted answers. I wanted to know who the 'meddling vampires' were, what they did and why they did it. I wanted to know who else was involved and whether I was in any danger. There had to be someone in here who had that knowledge or was at least close to someone who did.

I walked through the door and was immediately met with a Blonde storming out, closely followed by a smirking man. I side stepped quickly and stood frozen by the door. I was shocked. That man had been none other than Nik, my brother. And he had walked right by me without noticing me. How strange! I then decided it was a good thing. Better to reveal myself in my own time than be discovered before I was ready. I wonder who that blonde was. Nik never really noticed women back when we were human, except of course, for Rebekah and me.

I took a few steps forward then froze again. Standing by the bar with a smirk on his face was Kol! Oh my God! It seems my plan of remaining unseen is about to be ruined. But no. Instead of noticing me, Kol took off his jacket and sauntered over to the pool table. I kept a wide distance between me and him, walking over to a table on the far side of the bar, with my back to him, but still listening closely for signs of trouble. A woman was already there, playing pool.

Of course. Kol would be flirting. "What's your name, love?"

"None of your business." Ooh sassy, I like it. I smirked slightly.

"Let's try that again. I'll start. I'm Kol." He tried again.

"Why don't you get lost, Kol?" I'm liking this girl more and more.

"Why would I do that?" He asked. "I like pretty, little things with sharp tongues." Oh my God, Kol. Is that the best you can do?

Suddenly I was on edge because I man began to speak. "Pretty sure she told you to get lost."

"Pretty sure I don't care." Kol sniped. Suddenly, my little brother groaned in pain a few times and the man said "Next time, take a hint."

I growled quietly. They dare lay a hand on my little brother? That was my last thought before I collapsed and everything went black.


	8. Chapter 7

**Niklaus Mikaelson POV**

As I sat next to Caroline, I felt a surge of warmth and happiness travel through me. She was just so lovely it was hard not to smile in her presence. She was a light in the darkness. I was very blessed that she would spend even a little bit of her time with me. I knew I would cherish every second I spent with her because it would not be long before I did something that she would completely hate me for. I'm not sure what that is but it's bound to happen sometime. I dreaded that moment completely.

Suddenly, I sharp pain stung my heart like a dagger. I clutched my chest and gasped, staring wide eyed at Caroline. "What did you do?" I hissed, standing up and dragging her with me. I held her tighter than I meant for I knew what the pain meant. One of my siblings had been daggered. "What did you do?" I repeated, yelling.

"Nothing, get off, you're hurting me." She whimpered. I threw her arm away and ran back to the Grill. Kol was being dragged out of side door by Alaric and Jenna, Elena's annoying guardians. I growled. Damon was also there. How I hated that vampire!

I ran down the concrete steps and threw Damon down the alley. Alaric and Jenna looked up in surprise and I took that time to undagger Kol. I put the dagger in my coat pocket and turned to face the dishevelled vampire. "You are becoming quite a nuisance to me. What shall I do about that?"

Before Damon could answer a man burst out of the side door. "Call 911, call 911!" He cried.

"Why?" I snapped.

He looked at me. "A woman has collapsed inside. She has no pulse." His voice was shaking and he was very hyped up. His breath came quickly and unevenly. Alaric and Jenna ran inside to tend to the girl, Damon quickly following. I sauntered in behind them, letting my brother lay there in the dirt. Serves him right for getting caught by a couple of humans and a baby vampire. I slipped my way through the crowd of excited and worried humans to take a look at the girl. As soon as I caught sight of her, I stood frozen. I was so shocked I could hardly breathe. When I eventually did it came out shaky and uneven, much like the man's had before. My older sister was laid out on the floor in the recovery position. I was so confused. She looked exactly like Kol did except she hadn't been daggered. She couldn't have been. There was no wound. Maybe it was some kind of spell.

Suddenly, her fingers twitched. Excited murmurs erupted around me. I growled softly. How dare they treat my sister's pain as entertainment? I wanted to get her out of here as quickly as possible but how could I without rousing suspicion? Someone had checked her pulse so according to these people, she was dead or at least dying. I couldn't compel all these people. I would need the rest of my siblings for that. I was stuck. She couldn't just suddenly wake up without it seeming weird. What if she never did wake up? What if I had lost her within moments of finding her again? Elijah would be broken, our family would never be complete and we would have to carry the pain of loosing yet another sibling. For the first time in centuries I prayed to whatever God that still looked down on an evil creature like me that she would be OK.

I noticed her skin began to clear of its greyness, much like Kol's will be doing now. Her fingers twitched again and her eyes moved behind their lids. My breathing stopped and I stood, transfixed like the rest of the people in the bar. Silence fell as we watched and waited. Suddenly, she let out a gasp and opened her chocolate brown eyes. Relief spread around the room and excited chatter filled the silence. Alaric started talking to my sister but she was not listening. No, she was looking straight at me as I was at her. We held each other's gaze strong. I had no idea what had been wrong with her but it appeared that she was at full health now. And that is how she will stay if I have anything to say about. Alaric held out his hand and helped Isabella to her feet. She thanked him softly and made up some lie about being prone to fainting. He nodded, not quite believing her then he and Jenna walked away. That left only me and her, still staring at each.

She began to walk towards me, slowly. She kept my gaze for a second longer before looking and walking behind me, towards the side door which led to the alley. I turned and followed her lead. Once we were outside I turned, shut the door, turned back and was enveloped into Isabella's embrace. I held her close, tightly, scared to let her go, scared she may be a dream or hallucination sent to taunt me. Finally, after centuries of being separated from my family, I felt complete. I breathed in her familiar scent and basked in the comforting, familiar arms. To the right of us I heard movement and a gasp. We snapped our heads to the side. Kol was standing there, fully recovered, looking very shocked. Isabella let me go gently and walked over to Kol, wrapping him up in her arms as she had done with me. Kol responded eagerly and happily. Brilliant smiles marked both our faces and I was sure Isabella felt just as happy to see us as we were to see her. She pulled away from Kol and looked at us both, giving us watery smiles. Kol wiped a couple of her tears away and kissed her cheek.

"It is so wonderful to see you both again." Isabella whispered. I walked towards them and linked my arm with hers.

"It is wonderful to see you too, sister." I said and Kol nodded. He linked his arm with Isabella's right arm and we began a slow walk out into the open.

We crossed the road to the park area and sat on the bench I had sat with Caroline just moments ago. It felt like a million years ago, really. At the thought of Caroline, anger bloomed in my chest. Had she known my sister was there and been part of a plot to hurt her. She must have known Alaric and Jenna were going to dagger Kol. Hurt and betrayal were not feelings I was familiar with and it made me even angrier and I tensed up slightly. Isabella looked at me with soft, concerned eyes. She always knew when something was wrong.

When we were human, after my mother had cut me out of her life, Isabella became a substitute mother of sorts. I was old enough to look after myself but there was always that bit of love and support that you still need from a mother even when you are fully grown which I never got. So Isabella gave it to me. She was one of the very few people I could trust with anything. I would never even think about hurting her, never.

"What troubles you, Niklaus?" She asked softly.

Kol chuckled. "He's just a little grumpy that he and his pet vampire had a little spat."

I growled lowly. "She's not a pet, Kol! She's different. But of course I can't talk about difference and love with you because you're just a child."

Kol began to retaliate but Isabella interrupted our argument. "Don't fight! I have not seen either of you in centuries. Don't ruin this now."

We bowed out heads slightly, in shame. Only Isabella could get such a reaction out of the two of us.

"So, how have you been, love?" I questioned, wanting to change the subject quickly. I didn't like it when she was disappointed in me.

She smiled. "Good, I guess. Missing you all. It's been a very boring existence really." She looked down.

Kol put his arm around her. "We've missed you too." He tucked a piece of hair around her ear then stood up abruptly, bringing us both with him. "Come now, no more moping about. We have family to see. We have a lot of catching up to do and you **have **to see the new family house Nik got for us. It is very grand, indeed."

Isabella smiled brightly and we walked to our cars in the parking lot outside The Grill. She got in hers and we get in mine. As I was pulling out of the lot, I looked towards the bench we had sat on together and saw Caroline sitting there, looking very sad. I met her eyes for a moment then looked away in anger. I had not forgotten her betrayal and I would not take it lightly.

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Hey ppl of earth. Another chappie for you. What do you think about this? Review!


	9. Chapter 8

**Esther Mikaelson POV**

_It is nearly time. I can feel it. Isabella is coming. I shall see my daughter one last time before I end them. This has gone on too long. **They **have gone on too long. I should let them die a thousand years ago but I was so desperate for my family to survive I did not heed the warning Ayanna gave to me so long ago. I was so scared for my family that I did not realise how much I had upset the balance of nature. I love my family but they are abominations. And so is every sired body after them. They have caused enough pain on this earth to last an eternity. It is time for them to go where the living can no longer be hurt, the Other Side. _

I was tired. Old and tired. You would think after a thousand years of sleep I would feel satisfied, but no. My sleep was short and plagued with dreams, nightmares. I force pushing from the Other Side. A force I did not wish to meet again. My old teacher Ayanna. We had plagued each other while I was on the Other Side and she will not let me rest now that I have been awoken. I used to be Ayanna's apprentice in the old world. She was The Witch. I used to feel honoured to be taught under her and my family were blessed to have such a skilled healer with them. After I lost my first born son to the plague I realised just how easy it was to lose another. Mikael and I were planning to try again and it was when I became pregnant with Finn that I realised that I could lose him too.

Having Elijah and Isabella was the most hard. Twins were unheard of in those days so having two babies both scared and elated me. I always had a special place in my heart for the two miracles. It was half a year after they were born that I met the leader of the neighbouring were-wolf pack face to face. I was enthralled. So far my life had been filled with devastation and dullness. Duran was exciting. He was dangerous and mysterious and **not **Mikael. He was not pigheaded, he had valour, he was not cruel, he was firm and he made me feel special. Obviously I did not succumb to his charm straight away. It was at least another six months before he had me truly. I think, in the back of my mind, I planned to wait those six months until the twins were one and Mikael and I were trying for yet another baby. I knew the risk of becoming pregnant by Duran was high but I did not care. I was foolish and my next son Niklaus paid the price for that. I still loved him all the same, even when Alyanna told me he was the result of Duran and me. Mikael never found out until the end but he always seemed to hate Niklaus. It was obvious he felt something was wrong with him. Mikael thought him reckless and unskilled.

Mikael's attention was taken off Niklaus two years later when I had Kol. By then I had ended my affair with Duran, much to the relief of Alyanna, and Kol was born looking the spitting image of his father Mikael. A year later I was happily blessed with another baby girl, Rebekah. Mikael may have always preferred the boys over the girls but he always had a soft spot for Rebekah. He had never cared much for Elijah and Isabella. He didn't like the idea of abnormality and twins were too abnormal for him. Two years later Henrik came along and I asked Alyanna to remove my fertility. Mikael hated the idea but I pointed out that we were getting old and I would probably not survive the next birth and he let it alone. Truthfully I did not want another child. I was perfectly content with my seven wonderful children.

We lived in peace with the lycanthropes, my affair the furthest thing from my mind, in the new world. We felt as if nothing could touch us. Until sixteen years later when the first tragedy happened. It had always been a rule that you were never to watch the lycanthropes as they changed at the full moon. It was for our safety because if they saw us they would destroy us. We had always honoured that rule and Mikael and I had drummed it into our children **never **to go out on a full moon. However, on the first full moon after Henrik had turned sixteen, he convinced Niklaus to go with him to watch the lycanthropes change. Niklaus, not being able to convince him otherwise and too scared of his own father to warn him of Henrik's plan, accompanied him, fear holding his heart in an iron grip. I was with Ayanna at the time and that evening she said she felt something was wrong but did not know what it was. I had felt it too but decided not to say, I was not too worried about it. Until I heard the screams of anguish and horror leaving my son's lips as he carried the mutilated body of my youngest son back to the village. He laid him down on the grass as the villagers gathered round and wept. I begged Ayanna to do something but she told me he was passed help. I held my boy to my chest as I felt the life leave his young body. My son's life was over and the war with the werewolves that still lives on today had begun.

It was then that I decided to act on an idea that had dwelled in the back of my mind for some time, a way to make my children stronger and faster than any creature so that they may live forever and never have to feel the cold claws of death. I relayed my idea to Mikael and he convinced me to do it despite the sever warning I got from Alyanna. She told that if I upset the balance of nature, there would be a price. And there was. The White Oak tree that grew in our village could kill them. The sunlight they once played and bathed in burned them. The neighbours that used to be our friends could shut their doors them. The vervain that grew around the village could burn them and they had an insatiable thirst for the blood that once kept them alive. And worst of all, turning Niklaus meant I unintentionally awakened his werewolf gene and exposed my infidelity. Horrified, I placed a curse on Niklaus, suppressing his werewolf abilities and turned my back on him to gain favour from Mikael. I will always regret choosing my husband over my son. After my children burned the White Oak tree, Niklaus 'killed' me for my betrayal and abandonment, placed me in a coffin and hid me. He then framed Mikael, causing the rest of his siblings to hate him as well. After that I watched from the Other Side in horror as my children covered the world in shadow. I watched and waited for my chance to come back and undo what I did so long ago. And now is my chance. I am almost ready.


	10. Chapter 9

**Isabella Mikaelson POV**

As I followed my brother's car, I soaked up the town. I memorised where everything was so I would never be lost. Obviously it was extremely different from when I was last here, back when this place was the New World, where everyone was healthy and happy and free. That was the appeal. To get away from sickness and death so that we may live out our lives in peace. Ironically we were the ones that brought the death in the end. In the old days, the forest was much bigger and thicker, it used to span from the outskirts of the town, all the way to what is now the Town Hall. The park in front of it was where we lived. Back then it was a large field surrounded by forest with a White Oak tree planted in the middle. It was simple but it was home. My heart ached to go back to that time, where my worries were so far away and my troubles were nearly none existent. But I am also glad that time has moved. I love the modern world almost as much as I love the old world. Mainly because of the literature.

We all had our hobbies. Elijah and I loved the written arts that Alyanna, our old nurse, would show us. She was the only one in the village to possess such items thus the only one who knew how to read besides our mother. Alyanna and Mother would teach Elijah and me to read in secret because Mikael never approved of his children learning such 'unimportant acts'. Finn and Niklaus's hobbies were very similar, for Finn loved to make things and Niklaus had a true gift for painting. Now we would call them artists and sculptures. Back then we only had the pastes we made and the cave walls we wrote our stories on. Niklaus did exceptionally well with what he had. He mainly painted what Finn made. Finn was an inventor at heart. He was forever making contraptions that made life easier around the hut. Finn invented some of the every day objects we use now, not that any would know. He hid is tracks very well. He made things like the table and the chair. Mikael only approved of that because it involved wood work, something Mikael excelled in. He, however, despised painting and deeply discouraged the rest of us from taking up the hobby. He dug into Niklaus whenever he could but was too busy with Kol to ever take much notice of him. Kol was basically a miniaturised Mikael. He loved sword play and carpentry and hunting. He really was Mikael's Golden Boy and would have been his favourite if Rebekah had not been born. Rebekah had a passion for making dresses. Her designs were always very different and complex; she got her ideas from nature. She seemed to see nature in a way the rest of her siblings couldn't. Mikael did not care for dress making either but since she was a girl and his favourite he let it slide. If it had been me he would rather have had me looking at books. Though he never had much time for Elijah and me. He loved us and liked us a whole lot more than Niklaus but we were never important in his life, none of us were.

I was very much into classics. I loved Shakespeare and Dickens the most. They way the could bring old times back to life before my eyes was staggering and I never tired of reading them. I would like to think that Elijah loved them too. I would like to think that Elijah hadn't changed at all and we were still very much alike. I knew it was a fool's hope but it was there in my heart and it wouldn't go away. I had changed so much over the centuries, I'm sure he has too. Thinking about Elijah immediately made me nervous. I would be seeing him any minute now. All these insecurities came flooding back. I was scared mother would turn her back on me but what if Elijah did? I don't know what I would do if he did. It pained me to the core to even think about it, but this idea was also there and it plagued my mind until I reached the long drive way leading to the gravelled round about and my new home.

I stared at the mansion with a dropped jaw. Its magnificence was staggering. Of course Nik would only provide the best for his family. It was the mot wondrous place I had ever seen, including the Cullen'. I had never really stayed anywhere fancy, always preferring the simpler houses but if it meant being with my family I would happily stay anywhere.

I slowly got out of the car and stared up at the building once more. It was a **lot **bigger when you were standing in front of it. Kol and Nik walked ahead of me towards the big mahogany doors. I followed quickly, not wanting them to notice how put out I was at the house. If I uttered so much as one complaint I knew they would scour the town for another house suitable for my tastes. I would get used to it, as I had to when I was stuck with the Cullen's. That was merely for fun but this was for my family. I would do anything for my family. Before, I thought that self-preservation could actually be on the same level as family but now that I have seen three of them already I realise that nothing will ever compare to them, except Elijah on his own.

Niklaus opened the door and held it for me and they both let through first. I was a very bare front room, not as grand as I had thought it would be but I'm sure the rest of the house will make up for it. Two sets of winding stairs joining to a single corridor that disappeared above me, leading towards the rest of the second floor. A set of double doors was to the right of me and just as my gaze set on them, they flew open and Rebekah ran through and jumped into my arms. I held her tightly as I had before, laughing breathlessly.

"Oh I **knew **you'd come. I just knew you would. You would never say no to me, not ever. Oh I have missed you so very much and now we can all be a family again." She gushed quickly. I simply smiled and held her tighter still. I heard laughter and turned with Rebekah still in my arms to see Kol and Nik standing there with my bags in hand staring at us with amused smiles. I grinned back then looked towards the double doors once again as Finn made his way through with Sage on arm. I let Rebekah go gently and walked towards him. Sage dropped his arm and stopped walking with him, giving him a moment to greet me. We met and hugged deeply. Besides Elijah, Finn was my closest sibling merely because he was the oldest and somewhat of a father figure for us all. Niklaus would never ever admit it and would slaughter anyone who uttered such a thing but he looked up to Finn just as Kol had looked up to our father Mikael. Finn always had a way with words and before we could compel people, Finn would be our way of getting what he wanted. He could get anyone to agree with him about anything. A dangerous skill to possess if you used it for bad but Finn was not bad. In any sibling relationship there is always one that is better than the other, purer, and kinder. That was Finn. He did not see the better side of our species but he saw a better way to use it. Like I said before, he was an inventor. Always creating new ways to put of immortality to good use. I was very excited to catch up with him. His story telling was just as good as his convincing.

We pulled away and grinned at each other. I kissed his cheek as he did mine and we greeted with merely our eyes, nothing more. Spoken reunions would wait till later when we were all together. Finn then stepped away from me and all my siblings looked up towards the stairs. I followed their gazes and gasped quietly. There my mother stood, with her gentle brown eyes and soft smile, looking at me as if I were the most important thing in her world. I relished in the feeling of being important once again, of feeling wanted and needed. She descended the stair slowly, as if time had aged her bones when truthfully she looked no different than one thousand years before. She stopped at the bottom of the stairs and studied me more carefully now, and I saw that she was watching me warily. It pained me to see that my mother thought I would hurt her so I quickly closed the distance between us and wrapped my arms around her waist. I instantly felt the safety and comfort of her arms around me and I put my head in neck, breathing in her familiar smells. She stroked my hair and whispered soothing words in my ear much like I had with Rebekah not two days before. Although this whole ordeal feels like a life time. The Cullen's seem so far away and I am happy for that distance. This is what I need, where I belong.

Mother pulled away from me slightly and met my eyes with a watery smile. She tucked some loose strands of hair behind me ears and sighed. "Elijah is upstairs. You should go and greet him before he gets too distressed." She said quietly. I nodded and met all my siblings eyes once more, threw a wink at Sage and ran up the stairs, searching out my twin and finding him in a matter of seconds. I stood outside the room he was in and considered knocking, and then thought about just walking then suddenly I got scared. Do I really want to do this? Because I know that if I see Elijah again I won't leave unless he does so I could be stuck here for God knows how long. I could have walked into a trap by being here. Suddenly the door opened and all my problems seemed to vanish in an instant.

"Hello, sister."


	11. Chapter 10

**ELENA GILBERT POV FIVE DAYS BEFORE ISABELLA ARRIVES**

I bustled around the kitchen preparing a small lunch for me and Jeremy. If Jeremy decided to join me. He was always so moody now. It's gone back to like it was after our parents died. He's all closed off and isn't really talking to anyone. I can't **believe **he lost his second job in two months. Is he trying to aggravate me? Or Jenna? Or Rick?

I'm pretty sure he's doing it to get at me because of the choices I've made lately. But they were my decisions and he shouldn't have to bare them. It's been three weeks since I chose Damon and two since I told him I wanted to be a vampire. To say people were shocked would be an understatement. Caroline was quite happy for me, saying how she would love a vampire girlfriend she could relate to. Bonnie was super pissed; I know she hates vampires more than anything but I can't keep holding back because of other people's views. Damon taught me that. Matt, of course, was disappointed but at the same time supportive, I know he would do pretty much anything for me and if this is what I want he would gladly let me drink from him if I asked. Tyler asked if I was sure, I said yes, and then he said he was happy for me. I was quite surprised at that actually. I thought he would want me to stay human so I wouldn't have more problems from being a vampire. That's exactly what Stefan said except he also threw in a 'damning my soul' and 'insatiable hunger'. I just rolled my eyes at that and ignored him. Jenna and Rick weren't that surprised, saying that they had seen this coming and as long as I was sure then they would support me.

Jeremy freaked. He reacted worse than Stefan did. He kept saying 'How could you leave me?' and 'I thought you were my sister' and 'what happens when you get bored of Mystic Falls and leave? I'll lose you!' I have to admit, that last one stung a bit. In the end I would get restless and Damon and I would probably leave but we would come back for tons of visits, if we didn't Caroline would hunt us down and drag us back. After that Jer just went into a sulk. I tried talking to him every day, determined to get him on my side. I haven't quite got him yet but I won't give up.

As I made a pot of tea, the door sounded. I grinned. It was probably Damon. I jogged to the front and opened it, then froze.

"Hello Elena." Said Esther, as polite as ever. I took a shaking breath.

"Hello Esther, what can I do for you?"

At that she smiled. "It is not what you can do for me, but what I can do for you. I can get rid of you Original problem."

I was shocked. I had almost completely forgotten about the Originals. We hadn't had any trouble with them in ages. Klaus has broken the curse, created some Hybrids and still has a bit of my blood left over so they have no need to bother us. Are they still a problem? "You believe they are still problem?" I asked her.

She laughed quietly. "Of course they are! They never stopped. How long do you think it will be until they strike at you again, perhaps killing someone else you know. Maybe someone you love? Are you happy in the knowledge that they could still do that?"

I felt like I was being sold something on my doorstep and I didn't like it. There was something more to this that she was not telling me. "What are you hiding?" I said simply.

She raised her eyebrows in shock. "Me? Nothing. Why would I hide something from the one person on this earth who has the blood to destroy all the Originals?"

Oh my God. "My blood?"

"Just a drop." She said quickly, sensing my distress. "One little drop, a spell from me and they will all be bound together, as one."

I was confused.

Esther carried on. "One they are bound, what happens to one, happens to them all. Say, if one was daggered, they would all suffer the same reaction, apart from Niklaus of course. If Niklaus could be daggered, that is what I would do instead of killing them but sadly there is no other way." She said the last bit with force, obviously desperate to convince me that it was the right thing to do. And that is exactly what convinced me **not **to do it.

I shook my head. "I'm sorry Esther but you **are **hiding something from me and I will not do this spell until I have all the facts in front of me. Besides, your children haven't bothered us in months; we have no reason right now to want them dead." I explained slowly. "Goodbye." I made to close the door but suddenly some invisible force held it back. Esther walked through, into the living room, with me unable to stop her.

"I am sorry to hear that Elena because I didn't come here for your permission." She snapped. She turned and looked at me hard. I lost all feeling in my legs and they began a slow walk towards her. I suddenly felt drained; I had no will to fight this. I didn't know what she was doing to me but it couldn't be that bad, could it? I reached Esther and held out my hand. She produced a knife and a vial from inside her pocket. My heart raced but I felt extremely calm, like nothing could hurt me. I felt no need to fight what was happening. I just stood and watched as Esther dragged the knife down my palm, drawing blood and twisting my hand so the blood flowed into the little vial. When it was full she let my hand go and it flopped lifelessly by my side. "So sorry to have to do it this way but you gave me no choice, Elena." Her voice was quite foggy, I couldn't quite make out what she was saying and my vision was beginning to blur. I stumbled back a step or two before completely collapsing onto my living room floor. Esther was in the middle of saying something but I never found out what it was when darkness took over my senses.

I was floating. I felt as light as a feather. I swopped through multi-coloured lands and passed familiar faces that I couldn't quite remember. Every now and again these faces would reach out and speak to me but they never stayed for long because soon I would be off again flying on stars and swimming through oceans. Whatever I wanted. Where ever I wanted to go. I never wanted to leave this dream land. However at the same time I kept on feeling like there was something I have forgotten. Something important that I have to tell the faces. But every time I got close to it, it ran away, or just disappeared. I could see the memory right in front of me but something kept on taking it away. At first it didn't seem very important but now the urgency seemed to have grown enormously. I instantly understood that I had to leave my dream world in order to warn somebody about something. A plot, a plan. Someone's life hangs in the balance. More than one person? A group of people? I was getting very scared. I wanted Damon. Got to wake up. Got to wake up.

Wake up!

Wake up!

Wake up!

Wake

"-up, Elena!" A familiar voice cooed into my ear. "Please, please, baby, wake up for me. Please."

Something was wrong. I wanted to wake up, I really did but I couldn't. Something was stopping me; something that didn't want me to remember and didn't want me to wake up was stopping me, holding me down under the water. I could see the edge of the pool but something was grabbing hold of my leg, pulling me down. I have to wake up **now**. People were in danger. It was my fault. I wasn't strong enough. What is wrong with me? I looked down at my captor and saw Esther with a malicious smile on my face holding my ankle with a clawed hand. I screamed but only bubbles came out of my mouth. I couldn't breathe, I needed air, I'm drowning, I'm drowning. Oh God. Suddenly I was in the back of a car. Oh God, oh no. My parents were in the front. I'm living my nightmare. Oh please let me wake up. Please! We had just gone over Wickery Bridge and I knew Stefan wouldn't be here to save me this time. I've got to do it myself. I looked to my left and saw Jeremy unconscious. Oh no, not Jeremy too. I looked back at my parents are realised they had been replaced by Jenna and Rick. Oh God no! I opened my mouth and screamed.

Suddenly I was wrenched from my nightmare by a pair of very strong arms. "Elena? Elena, it's me Damon. You're OK baby. You're OK." Damon cradled me against his chest while I gasped for air that had always been there. It had all been a dream. All a really bad dream but it was over now. Esther wasn't going to do anything. Jenna, Rick and Jeremy were safe and I was safe in Damon's arms.

Damon pushed me back so I could look into his eyes. They were really wide and wild. He looked so worried, I felt bad for putting him through such an ordeal. I noticed he was saying something so I tried to tune in onto his words. "Jenna found you unconscious. She called me straight away and put you on the couch. You hand was bleeding. What happened?"

Then I realised that it hadn't all been a dream. Esther had come to visit me and she was going to kill her children. It was my fault. She had taken my blood and I had been too weak to stop her. I needed time to figure all this out but I couldn't while Damon was so busy fretting. I focused back onto his face and saw he was mumbling gibberish. I put my hands on either side of his face and made his eyes focus on me. "I'm fine." I said. My voice sounded stronger than I felt. "I am, I guess I just feel and hit my head." I lied.

He didn't look convinced. I sighed and tried again. "I **am **fine baby. I just want to go to bed. I feel dizzy and tired." His eyes brightened up a bit.

"OK." He lifted me up and ran with me to my bed room then laid me down on the bed. "Can I get you anything? Pain killers? Water? Food? You name it."

I shook my head then stopped because it made the world spin. "No, nothing. I just want to sleep." He came and knelt down beside my bed and kissed me gently. I sighed, happy for such a normal, comforting gesture amongst the madness in my head.

"How about I come see you in two hours to make sure you're OK?" He suggested and I jumped at the chance for some alone time. "Yes, that's good. See you in a bit." I nodded. I kissed him once more before he got up and left. I flopped back against my pillow then raised my hand and studied the scar on my palm. I would have to ask Damon was some blood to heal it. I closed my eyes and let my arm flop against my side. I had some **serious** thinking to do.

* * *

Theres chapter ten for all you lovely people. You would be even better people if you reviewed and told me what you thought of this chapter!

Also I want to know what you think of Elena and Damon staying together. Should she go onto Elijah once she realises that she could lose him? Or have the Originals ruined her life so much that she can't even think about loving one of them? Gimmie your thoughts and i'll see what the most popular vote is then weave it into my story. Needing your reviews ppl. Love you guys :):):)


	12. Chapter 11

**Isabella Mikaelson POV Present Day**

As I stared into my twin's eyes, for the first time in centuries, everything else seemed to stop. It became unimportant. All that mattered was that he was here and I was here and we were reunited once more. I practically stumbled into his waiting arms and buried my face into his chest. He held me tight, like he would never let me go and I finally felt whole again. The sobs racked through my body, the tears wet his suit jacket. He led me through the door, closing it with his foot and sat us down on the bed, not letting me go, never letting me go. We stayed like that for I don't know how long. Not long enough, it seems. We just held each other in silence, my tears finally subsided.

Eventually Elijah pulled back and looked into my brown eyes, exact replicas of his and smiled. I felt elated. Everything was falling into place. Our family was together again, I was with Elijah and I had my mother back. I had a small, nagging feeling that something was about to go wrong but I pushed it down, not wanting to spoil this perfect moment. I smiled back at him.

"Hello, brother." I finally greeted him. "It's been a while."

He nodded. "Too long." He frowned. "For a while I thought you were dead. I thought I had lost you forever."

I shook my head quickly. "No, never." I then froze. "How could I be dead? The White Oak was burned centuries ago." The nagging feeling was back, stronger than ever.

Elijah's eyes widened as he realised his slip up. "Sister, more than anything I want this moment to be perfect. I want us to talk and reunite and just spend time with each other. Sadly I have recently received some news from a friend that everything may not be as it seems. If they are to be trusted which I am almost certain they are. Do you want to hear it?" As he said all this, his voice got lower and lower until it was but a whisper that I could barely hear. I realised that this was something he was entrusting in me, our other siblings did not know this. Do **I **want to know this? After all this time do I want my happiness to be ruined the moment I grasp it?

"Are we in danger?" I whispered. "Are brothers and sister in danger?" He nodded gravely.

I sighed then got up slowly. "Come on, let's go out. Show me around." I said this loud enough for our siblings to hear. Elijah nodded and we quickly ran to my car. I drove off of our land and back towards the town. As soon as we were a good distance from the house, I began to question him. "What's going on, Elijah? Why are we in danger?" I drummed my fingers against the steering wheel in agitation. I didn't like the feeling of being threatened. I wasn't something I was used to, being one of the strongest beings on this planet. I knew I shouldn't have come back.

Elijah didn't answer my questions, but did begin to give me directions to a location. I followed them in silence. Soon he told me to stop and I found us parked outside a house in the middle of the town. "What is the significance of this place?" I asked, my patience wearing thin. Sensing my growing agitation, Elijah said "I will answer all your questions in due time, sister, we are at the home of my friend Elena Gilbert, who gave me this information. I can trust her for help and her friends also if she has any say in it. We **can** trust her, sister." He looked me in the eye, as if willing me to believe him. I knew I didn't trust people easy, but he also knew that if he trusted someone then I would too. I let out a long sigh then got out of the car. I can't believe that less than an hour ago I thought I was being reunited with my family and now I am being dragged into a plot that could possibly end my long existence. To say I was ready to die was an understatement. I had contemplated death many times in my life. It was the thought of my siblings dying that caused me to cringe, and also the only reason I was here and not with Rebekah or Finn at this moment in time, catching up.

Elijah got out of the car and we walked up to the front porch together. He carried on and I hung back on the wooden steps, still unsure of this Gilbert. I knew who the girl was as I had been keeping tabs on Niklaus for centuries. I knew this girl was the doppelganger and the descendant of a good friend of mine, Katherine Pierce. Gilbert was the reason my brother had succeeded in creating those damned hybrids. I had planned on not liking her, possibly hating her, but it seems that Elijah had different ideas. "The doppelganger, brother? Really? Hasn't this line of women caused you enough trouble?" He turned back to me with raised eyebrows. He knew I was mainly talking about Tatia, the woman who took his and Niklaus's fancy all those centuries ago. He didn't like me bringing it up.

"This Pierce, sister, is different from the rest of them. She is not whorish, nor is she a cheater or a liar, unlike your 'best friend' Katherine." He snipped back. It was my turn to raise my eyebrows. "Yes, sister, I have been keeping tabs on you these last few years, as you have been with Niklaus." I stepped forward. "If you knew where I was then why did you never approach me?" I snapped. He looked away. "I conversation for another time, sister. For now let us just focus on the task at hand."

I huffed. "I don't know what the 'task at hand' is because you aren't telling me anything! What's wrong, Elijah? What's going on that is so bad that you would trust a Pierce again?"

He turned away from me and knocked on the door. I growled quietly. We may have been inseparable but that did not mean we didn't fight. I took a step back as the door opened and a woman looked out. "Jenna, how lovely to see you." Of course he would make friends out of them. I rolled my eyes as his politeness.

"Elijah, how can I help you? Elena's in if you want her." Jenna answered. Elijah nodded.

"That's exactly who I want. If it wouldn't be too much trouble to have talk to her for a moment." Oh my God, he was such a suck up! I wanted to laugh at how polite and stuck up he sounded. We were twins but we had out differences. Jenna nodded. "Sure, sure, come in." She opened the door wider for him to enter. Elijah was about to step through when Jenna noticed me standing in front of the porch. "She belong to you?" Jenna asked. I snorted. Elijah turned back to me, a tight smile on his face. He was obviously saying 'Be polite' but I wasn't in the mood to follow orders. He motioned me forward with his hand while answering Jenna's question. "Yes, this is my…er…friend, Isabella." I snorted again. Smooth, Elijah. I didn't know why he didn't introduce me as his sister and I didn't care. He probably knew what he was doing. I say **probably**.

I walked forward slowly but said nothing. Jenna gave me a small smile. "Hi Isabella, I'm Jenna." I gave her a curt nod but still said nothing. That made her feel slightly uncomfortable and I threw Elijah a smile as he gave me a pinch on the arm. "Isabella." I simply said. Jenna nodded then stepped away from the door to let Elijah through once again. He stepped through then I coughed. He turned back to me. I glared at him. Suddenly he realised what I was saying. "Oh, yes, so sorry. My twi- **friend** needs to be invited in, if you would be so kind, Jenna?" I rolled my eyes and Jenna frowned at his slip up. I knew she wasn't going to invite me. She didn't trust me, even if Elijah did. Instantly I knew why he didn't introduce me as his twin. If she had known, nobody would trust me. I doubt my other siblings had given them much reason to trust anyone of us **but **Elijah.

Jenna shook her head. "I'm sorry Elijah, but you can never be too careful, especially in this town. I'm not going to invite her in until the Salvatore's and/or Elena trust her. I assume no one has met her yet?" Elijah nodded. Jenna sighed and shook her head. "It's out of my hands."

"Could you then send Elena outside onto the porch? I do still need to speak to her and it is of the upmost importance." Jenna nodded, stepped away from the door and disappeared up the stairs. I huffed, earning me Elijah's attention. "What the hell, Elijah?"

"This is a good way for people to find out about you. Through Elena. She has a good heart and sees the good in people those themselves don't even see. If anyone is going to trust you, it will be her." He answered.

"You think highly of this girl." I retorted. "This is not how I wanted things to go." Elijah raised his eyebrows. "And how exactly **was **this going to go for you, sister?"

"**My **way. Everything was going to happen when I wanted it to and when I was ready. Then something really weird happened at that Grill in town and Klaus found me, **before** I was ready." I snapped. Elijah frowned. "What weird thing?" I was about to answer but then a girl, presumably Elena since she looked exactly like Katherine walked through the door. "Elijah, hey. Sorry this has to happen outside. You know how Jenna has been since she turned." She was very apologetic. Of course Elijah was still ever so polite. "Not at all, we understand. Don't we Isabella?" He kind of trapped in that one. This was my only chance to make an impression so it had better be good. Sadly, I was past being good. "Yes, yes, whatever. I'm here for a reason Elijah, not to socialise with your 'friends'." I then addressed Elena. "Wow, you really do look like Katherine."

Elena frowned. "You know Katherine?"

I rolled my eyes. "I know many things but one of the things I** don't **know is about this impending doom and danger thing we have going on here. We're here because I need to be in the know."

Elena looked at Elijah who had a slightly pained look on his face. "Why does she have to know?" Elijah looked at her. "She knows my mother very well, she can help." Elena did not look convinced so Elijah continued. "She as connections to different people who can also help." Elena frowned. "More strangers? More people for us to trust then are betrayed by? I'm sorry if I sound ungrateful but I am not convinced. How do you know she will not help Esther?" At this I had had enough. "Because I am his twin." I snapped. Elijah sighed and Elena gasped. "Twin?" She questioned. Elijah and I both nodded and said "Twins."

Elena shook her head, as if to clear away all the craziness going on around her. She then looked at Elijah, accusingly. "Why didn't you tell me you had a twin? She could have helped us when we were trying to stop Klaus from breaking the curse!" I looked at Elijah as well. This is something I wanted to know too.

"Because I knew Niklaus was probably going to dagger me at some point and inviting my twin back to town means she could suffer the same fate and you would all be left to fight Niklaus on your own. He isn't even the problem anymore so it doesn't matter why I never told you." Elena huffed but said nothing. I looked between them in amusement but did not comment. "So," I said, bringing the attention back to me, "what **is **the problem now if not Niklaus?" Elena looked at me. "It's your mother, Isabella."

My eyes widened. "What?" I muttered.

Elena and Elijah nodded. He said "She's plotting to kill us all."

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Dum, dum, dum! Dramatic! Anywho...what do you think? Review:)

BTW i've decided to keep damon and elena together due to popular vote (3 against 2)


	13. Chapter 12

**Elijah Mikaelson POV Three days before Isabella arrives**

I wandered through the grassed area infront of the town hall, not really sure where I was going, just needing time away from the house and my siblings infernal bickering. It makes you want to stake yourself. Not that it would do much harm but still. As nothing was distracting me, my mind moved towards my twin sister. Niklaus would send one of us to bring her home soon. I knew he wouldn't send me because he knew I wouldn't return. It doesn't matter whether I go to meet her or she comes to me, the moment we reunite we are moving away from here. Far, far away where we can't be sucked into more of Niklaus's plots and schemes, torturing the lives of the innocent. He had made his bloody hybrids, daggered me **and **the rest of my family and it turns out killed our mother. For the life of me I don't know **why **I stay here. I do love my family but they are very hard to deal with. I can't be around them for too long before I go mad. It was like this when we were children, the fighting and bickering and all the noise. Isabella and I used to run away into the woods and hide, where it was silent and still, looking and just beginning to understand the books that Ayanna gifted to us. Our mother teaching the two of us to read was one of the kindest gestures she ever made towards the two of us. Not that there were many. She was too busy with Henrik, her golden boy, her baby, to deal with the rest of us.

My sister and I were a marvel back then. We were the first twins. No one had ever heard of them before so you can imagine everyone had quite a scare when two children came out instead of one. Some people in our village said witch craft, others said illness and very few people just accepted it as a part of nature. Our parents did not turn their backs on us, like they did with Niklaus, but we were never fully accepted in our village. We were so different from our siblings. We preffered solitude, only finding company and comfort in each other, we never seperated, we slept in the same bed at night and walked by each others side during the day. As we grew older, our mother tried to discourage us from spending so much time together but we did not care. Eventually we were set to work in the village, Isabella inside doing 'women's chores' and me and my brothers out in the fields and the woods hunting, crafting and looking after crops. Those were the hardest times of the day, when we could not see each other. Twins around the world have always had a special bond that people can never understand unless they have experienced it themselves. Some share the same dreams, some can get a gist of the others thoughts, and some can communicate through mere looks. Isabella and I could hold a conversation by speaking few words and using many small facial expressions. That is what people hated the most. When we were silent, just staring at each other, deep into a conversation no one else could hear because no one understood. We had a special bond, a bond that no one could break, even in death. I had to get Isabella away from Niklaus before he does something stupid, something he'll regret.

I am instantly pulled out of my thoughts as a body clipped my shoulder. "Sorry." Came the muttered apology. I shook my head. "No, no, it was my fault, I was deep in thought." I looked up and was staring straight into the bright eyes of Elena Gilbert. "Oh, Elena, how lovely to see you."

She smiled slightly. "Good to see you too, Elijah. And I apologise again for my clumsiness. I haven't been sleeping well." Again I shook my head. She really needed to stop putting th blame of things onto herself every chance she got and except that sometimes other people do stupid things as well. Not wanting to offend her I didn't say that, though I did say "No, entirely my fault. I am sorry, though why have you not been sleeping, if you don't mind me asking?" I enquired.

Maybe something was wrong. I would like to help her and make up for all the times I have 'screwed her over', as Damon has to eluqently put it, many times. I did not blame him for being protective over his girl but he did need to be a bit more polite to people who could kill him at the snap of a finger.

Elena looked slightly apprehensive. "I may be able to help." I said. My attention was caught. I had a feeling this **was** important. Slowly, she nodded. "OK, but not here. Somewhere private. My cars parked over at the Grill, we can drive into the forest." I nodded in agreement and we made our way over to her car. I was happy to know that she trusted me enough to tell me. She was a good girl with a kind heart, but she needed to be a bit more careful about who she trusted. I was not going to fail to deliver again, but somebody else might. She was too forgiving for her own good.

As we reached the outskirts of the forest, Elena's heart began to beat quicker. I looked over to her and saw she looked quite nervous and was deep in thought. Something was definitely troubling her. If I could take away those troubles then maybe she would consider me forgiven and my debt to her repaid, not that she would see it as a debt. She drummed her fingers against the steering wheel in agitation. We drove for a mile or two into the forst before she stopped the car and we both got out. We were near a clearing, nothing particualy important, but it was empty and the place was silent. I ached for my twin.

"What I'm about to tell you is kinda crazy and you probably won't even believe me, I mean, I'm not even one hundred percent sure it happened myself even though I have the scar to show it." I looked at her with a frown. She showed me her hand. A faint white scar ran down it. I did not comment so she continued. "Two days ago, I was at home making lunch when someone knocked at the door. I opened it and Esther was there. She said she had a way to get rid of the Originals once and for all." I gasped but still said nothing. I had to hear this. She continued. "I felt something was off instantly so I asked what she was hiding. She told me she would never hide something from the one person on earth who has the blood to destroy all the Originals. She just needed a drop, just one drop for a spell and then you would all be bound together." I frowned, confused. She explained. "I was confused as well but Esther said that if you were all bound then what happens to one of you, happens to all of you. Say if one of you is daggered, the rest of you will fall, apart from Klaus because they don't work on him. It means that if Esther **has **found a way to kill you, she needs only to do it on one of you and you will all die. And since you all trust her so much, none of you would think twice about doing as you're told. One of you could easily be tricked into being the victim and you wouldn't suspect a thing." I looked at her hard. "And you gave her your blood, did you?"

She gasped. "No, no, I didn't." I took a step forward. "But you have the scar to prove you did!" I accused. She shook her head. "She took it by force. I told her that I would not help her because it wasn't right, she had not told me everything but she came into my house and took the blood. She then knocked me out with some kind of spell, causing me to dream." I looked at her carefully, taking in the look on her face and the speed of her heart. She was telling the truth. She had not given the blood by choice. "Why did you not tell me immediately?" I snapped. She sighed. "The dream. The dream told me not to." I scoffed.

"A dream?" I asked.

"A warning." She said. "It started off nice, kinda like I was flying, seeing beautiful things, things I had never seen before, when suddenly it turned bad, really bad. I kept trying to remember something but Esther kept making the memory stay away, trying to distract me with all the nice things, making sure I didn't wake up. I tried to wake up, I really did. Suddenly I was in a car, under water."

"Under water?" I questioned, confused. "What is the significance of that?"

She looked down, suddenly very sad. "My parents drowned in the river that runs under Wickery Bridge with me in the car. Stefan saved me. Esther was making me relive that, my worst nightmare, except Stefan wasn't there to save me. Then suddenly Jenna and Alaric were there instead of my parents and Jeremy was sat next to me, all drowned, all dead. It was all a warning. It took me a day or two to figure it out but eventually I came to the conclusion that Esther was saying if I told anybody about the spell she would kill me and my family. She has everything she needs from me. I wouldn't be a lose to her." She looked up at me. "Do you believe me?"

I looked at her then looked away into the forest, deep in thought. Right about now would be a good time to have my twin by my side to help me make my decisions. She would know what to do. Right now she would say the right thing and make it better. But she wasn't here. I was on my own. And I knew in my heart that Elena was telling the truth. My mother was trying to kill me and my family.

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Hey ppl, review! :):):)


	14. Chapter 13

**Isabella Mikaelson POV Present day**

I leant against the wooden rail surrounding the porch while Elena sat on the swing, telling me everything. Elijah was stood next to me, his arm around my shoulders, head resting on me. I waited in silence until Elena had finished. To say I was shocked would be an understatement. I really felt like freaking out and killing someone but I reigned it in by controlling my breathing and holding tight onto Elijah's arm. "And we are the only ones who know this?" I asked through clenched teeth. Elena watched me warily and nodded quickly. They both looked at me for a reaction but as crazy as my emotions were, my face stayed blank, a trick I prided myself in. I could completely hide my emotions from people. It's something Elijah and I had been able to do since we were little. Eventually I sighed. "This is **not** good." Above all else I felt hurt, hurt and betrayal. Our mother turned us into these creatures and now she wants to kill us? This was her mistake not ours. We and the rest of the vampire kind should not have to pay the price for our mother's mistake. Then I realised Elena and her friends didn't know about the Blood Line. Of course they wouldn't. It's not like they would go looking for it like I did. Does Elijah know? I met his gaze for a moment then looked at Elena. No, neither of them knew. Let's keep it that way, for now. No need to give them more problems. Besides, it shouldn't be too hard to stop Esther. A witch has done it before; a witch can do it again. "And what do you propose **I **do about this?" I said, looking at Elijah. He shook his head and shrugged. "We're not even sure what **we're **going to do about it. All we have is that facts. The question at the moment is 'Do we tell anyone else?'"

Elena looked at him quickly. "No! If you do and Esther finds out then my family is **dead**."

I scoffed. "Well, if **we **don't tell anyone and Esther succeeds then our family is **dead**! And to be honest I would rather yours die than mine! If you hadn't noticed, I don't really like you."

Elijah intervened. "There has to be a way to handle this where none of our families are killed."

"There is. We need Ayanna." I said. "She put our mother into the coffin; she can put her in again."

Elena frowned. "Who's Ayanna and how did she put Esther into the coffin? I thought Klaus did."

I looked at her. "Ayanna is the First Witch, our mother was her apprentice. She taught her everything she knows. Obviously too much, it seems. Anyway, Ayanna helped out parents travel to the New World where they could raise a family in peace, away from sickness and death. After Esther turned us into vampires, Ayanna gave her a chance to fix her mistake, but Nik killed her before Ayanna could tell her how."

Elijah took over. "After Ayanna was killed, she and our mother met on the Other Side and watched as we killed and tormented and destroyed. Of course, we didn't know any better. We didn't have mentors or helpers, we had our instincts. Ayanna and our mother made a deal. She will send our mother back if she uses her time to right the wrong she did centuries ago, kill us."

"Ayanna warned our mother not to do the spell to change us in the first place but she did not listen." I added. Elena frowned. "If she didn't want you to change in the first place then why would she help you stop the one person who can kill you?"

I sighed. "That's the problem. The only person powerful enough to stop Esther is on her side **and **dead. So we will have to use Ayanna's descendants, a Bennett witch."

Elijah nodded. "And luckily we have on at hand."

Elena cut in. "Who hates your family and vampires all together. She will **never **help you, no matter who asks her and if you start threatening people she love she'll tell you to go to hell."

I looked at Elijah. "Which is exactly where we're going unless we do something and soon!"

"Even Esther is not powerful enough to take down an Original. She would have to channel Ayanna's power somehow and to do that she would need a witch from Ayanna's blood line. I believe her next target will be Bonnie." Elijah said, worried. I knew who Bonnie was, the witch who uses dark magic a bit too much for my liking. Bringing a boy back from the dead, ill using her powers. She sounds like someone who would help Esther in a heartbeat. "Ok, fine." I said. "We go find Bonnie, make sure Esther hasn't gotten to her first, go stab our mother in the back and put her in a coffin for another thousand years. It's happened before, it can happen again."

Elijah shook his head. "And again Ayanna will bring her back. They will not stop, they will not watch for another thousand years as we terrorise this earth. If someone doesn't open the coffin, then Ayanna will find someone else who will no matter how well we guard it."

"Then you destroy it." Elena said, calmly. I looked at her, shocked. She looked right back at me. "If nobody can be trusted to look after the coffin and make sure she doesn't rise again then destroy it."

"Elena, it is not that simple I" I cut Elijah off. "Damn right it isn't that simple. She may be plotting to kill us but she is still and always will be our mother. Even Niklaus would never dare lay a hand on her that way unless he knew that she could come back. If she destroying her means her never coming back and her being out of our lives forever then she will not be ended by any of our hands. You had better have another idea, doppelganger, because that is **not **going to happen." With that, I walked back to the car, walked right past it and disappeared into the town.

**Elijah Mikaelson POV**

I watched my twin go with sadness in my heart. No, none of us will forever destroy our mother, but somebody else probably will. I'm surprised Elena is even helping us; we could be out of her lives forever. As soon as her friends find out they will all want to help Esther. I looked back at Elena, who looked ashamed at her idea that we would kill our own mother. "Do not worry, we will think of something. I believe your friend Bonnie is quite safe for now. I don't think Esther will try anything until after the ball my family is holding to celebrate our reuniting."

Elena looked surprised. "A ball? Really?" I nodded. "It was Esther's idea. Something to bring us all together, I'm sure. But do not worry, I don't believe she will try and harm any of your friends who are invited to this ball. Its tomorrow evening. Each Mikaelson is allowed to invite another, allow me the pleasure of inviting you."

Elena smiled and nodded. "I would love you go. It sounds nice. Of course, Damon and Stefan will **insist **on coming with me."

I nodded slowly. "Consider them your plus 1s. They are also welcome as long as they do not cause trouble. This is probably the last family event we do together and I would like it to go as smoothly as possible. Maybe I can kid myself that we really are a family again and it is all real." I felt sad again but I quickly pushed it away. I bowed my head slightly at Elena. "Until tomorrow evening then, Miss Gilbert." With that, I took my leave.

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Please, please, _please _review!

Down on my knees, begging you here!


	15. Chapter 14

**Third Person POV**

The day of the ball. The Original siblings were all in high spirits, even Isabella and Elijah considering the distressing news of their own mother's vicious plot. All were excited about the ball tonight, each for the own reasons.

Rebekah was sat on a $3000 couch, getting her nails done by a compelled assistant. She had invited Matt Donavon, the Mystic Falls High quarter back. She wasn't in the least bit interested in him, but after the failed attempt of killing Elena last night, she had hopes to get her own back by killing Elena's ex. All this for revenge after being daggered some few weeks ago. A failed plan of Damon's. Rebekah sniggered mentally. How many more times do these pitiful people need to fail before they realise that we are unstoppable Rebekah thought to herself. Rebekah never let things go though. How she could have fallen for Elena's **trying to be friends **act, she'll never know. Their mother may have said no killing the locals but Rebekah was sure she could get away with it with a little help from her big brother Kol. She looked up at him while he was checking himself out in the mirror, admiring a new suit.

Kol was always admiring himself. He knew he was handsome and he had no problem showing it. Usually he didn't like family gatherings but it had been so long since they were all together, plus Nik had let slip that he had invited the beautiful Caroline to the ball tonight. Not that Nik will want anything to do with her after her **betrayal**. Kol smiled at himself in the mirror. Yes, Nik won't want her, but **he** does. Kol was confident enough in his abilities with the female gender that he can have her on his arm by the end of the night. He voiced all this to his siblings but surprisingly Isabella laughed. "You smooth? Don't make me laugh! I saw how you tried to enchant that human at the Grill. And you went and got yourself staked!" Rebekah and Finn burst out laughing. Kol grumbled then smirked. He met Rebekah's eyes in the mirror. "Rebekah, tell me how handsome I am."

Rebekah rolled her eyes. "Oh Kol, you know I can't be compelled." Finn looked up and grinned. They all heard the banging footsteps before the door burst open and an angry Niklaus stormed through. Elijah and Isabella looked up with raised eyebrows but said nothing. Klaus went straight for Bekah. "You went after Elena? What is wrong with you?"

Rebekah sighed but smiled. "Here we go."

Klaus growled quietly. "Do you want another dagger in your heart?" By then his other siblings had stopped what they were doing and looked up. Kol leaned against a table with a smirk on his face. "Again with the dagger threats? Don't you have any other tricks?" Klaus glared and turned to Kol. "Oh, go back to staring at yourself." He growled with a dismissing glance.

"And who are you, my father?" Kol knew that was a low blow. Klaus turned back to Kol. "No, Kol. But you are in my house." They approached each other challengingly. "Then perhaps we should take this outside." Kol said. They squared up to each other. There was no way in which this could end well.

From the side, Elijah considered the situation and decided it to be not good. "Isabella." He muttered. Beside him, Isabella nodded and stepped forward. "Enough." Both brothers stepped away from each slowly and bowed their heads towards their older sister in respect. "As you wish, sister." Kol said, a teasing smirk placed firmly in his face, eyes meeting Nik's in an obvious challenge. But Nik did not fall for the bait. He stepped away and stormed out of the room. He held respect for Isabella and would listen to her but only to a certain extent. If Kol tried anything again, he would not stop in shoving another dagger in his heart.


	16. Chapter 15

**Third Person POV**

The ballroom was brightly lit with hundreds of mini chandeliers and one large chandelier in the centre of the ceiling. The walls were pure white, a beautiful contrast against the deep black patterns painted onto the marble floor, courtesy of Niklaus. The great oak doors which separated the ballroom from the rest of the Mikaelson mansion was opened and closed repeatedly by two butlers, who greeted the fantastically dressed guests with small, polite bows. The guests were slightly taken aback but secretly thrilled out how highly they were being treated, having never seen such a finer sight even in the Mayor's mansion. For the various Mikaelson family dotted around the room, the sight was a trip down memory lane. Each child of Esther and Michael Mikaelson were reminiscing about a different grand party they had once attended centuries ago.

**Caroline Forbes POV**

As I was bowed through the entrance to the ball room, people literally stopped and stared at me. I froze. Was something wrong? Did I look bad? Then, suddenly, people began to whisper.

"Oh, look at her!"

"She's gorgeous."

"Where did she get that **dress**?"

"Her date is the luckiest man in the world."

I heaved a sigh of relief and made my way through the quickly moving crowds, in search of some alcohol. If my **date **was going to make an appearance tonight I would need all the help I can get.

I grabbed a glass of champagne as a waiter walked by with a tray. Already, nerves were settling in. I knew it had been a bad idea to come. Damon and Stefan had said so many times. Neither of them believed Klaus could actually like me, that he could feel anything other than hate. They both thought I had been invited so he could kill me for revenge for tricking him. I then had pointed out that that was entirely Damon's fault and if anyone should be killed it's him before storming out. Damon always managed to get on my nerves.

As I slowly made my way around the edge of the dance floor, I searched and located each Original, finally landing on Klaus. I gasped slightly. I would never admit this aloud but **he was hot**! He looked like James Bond in his black suit and his drink, surrounded by beautiful ladies. At that I felt a slight twinge. He had invited me here, not them. I was his guest. I huffed and began the long walk back the round the room to get to him and suddenly found my path blocked. Blocked by none other than Klaus' little brother, Kol.

"Sweet Caroline, how are you darling?" He had a slightly malicious gleam in his eyes and smile that said he was up to no good. Oh dear.

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Hey ppl. Sorry it's taken so long and its so short but bare with me! A longer chapter will be coming out in about a week! I just had a bit of writers block.

Btw, if anyone has any preferences of how they want this story to go PLEASE review and tell me! I'm writing this story for you guys and I want you to get what you want :):):)

Thanks xx


	17. Chapter 16

**Isabella Mikaelson POV**

Something's coming. I don't know how I know, I just do. It's an uneasy, slightly painful feeling in my stomach. If I was human I would have thought I was ill. As I glided about the ball room in a sea blue gown, I just knew that something was not right here. Something or someone was here that shouldn't be. Something bad. My brown eyes flashed around the room, searching for my twin. Locating him at the opposite corner, I swerved through the throng of guests to reach him. He nodded in greeting and met my eyes with a slightly pained expression. He felt it too. "What's happening?" I hissed.

He shook his head, helplessly. "I do not know. I have been feeling this ever since I arrived in this room. My first thought was that Elena and her friends might be up to something but then I remembered; she is planning on helping us defeat Esther. I trust her enough not to turn her back on me now."

At this I rolled my eyes. Always so giving, was my twin. One of the very few things that set us apart. He may trust this human, I do not. I may trust Katherine, he does not. I am one of the few people Katherine can confine in without fear of being killed. I have known her since she was turned and I would happily trust her with my life. I suspect most of the people who know her would be shocked at the news, deeming her untrustworthy and manipulative. True, she is those things, but those and so much more. There is a side to her that she lets few people see. We all have that side, the weaker side. The one we are all ashamed of.

Elijah suddenly broke me out of my train of thought with a sharp intake of breath. I looked at him quickly, then followed his slightly anxious gaze across the room to where Kol was speaking, or rather flirting, with the blonde woman I remember storming out of the Grill a few nights ago, closely followed by Nik. I looked back at Elijah, waiting for an explanation. "Nik's new fancy, Caroline Forbes. I have never seen him so smitten since Tatia." I winced slightly.

I remember Tatia like it was yesterday. She had a striking resemblance to Katherine and Elena. She was not identical as they are, but they have the same features. Obviously related. I remember how obsessed Nik and Elijah both were of her, I remember the fights she used to cause between them, and I remember how painful it was to watch with my sister while our brothers brawled over a girl not worth their time. Luckily, mother eventually put a stop to it forever, but at a terrible price. She made Tatia's blood the key to breaking the curse. Sometimes I wish Esther had just let them brawl and scrap over a woman they would eventually leave behind. Then we would have one less problem to solve. It appears that I repeat of a thousand years ago is imminent, as Kol was getting very comfortable with Miss Forbes.

I sighed and gave Elijah a rather pointed look. I was saying _This has happened before_. He looked down quickly. Elijah had always been ashamed of the way he had acted with Tatia. I reached out and held his hand, gave it a quick squeeze before looking up towards the stairs to see Esther walking down slowly. I tugged Elijah's and motioned towards the figure descending. We dropped hands and made our way towards the stairs, for Elijah to give a speech and introduce the first official dance of the evening.

My siblings and I all stood at various points on the marble stairs, with mother at the top, looking down upon the sea of upturned faces. We oozed royalty, or at the very least, superiority. We better higher than them, better than them and they knew it.

Elijah began. "Welcome, thank you for joining us." He looked up at our mother with a false gaze of affection. "You know, whenever our mother brings our family together like this, it's tradition for us to commence the evening with a dance. Tonight's pick is a centuries old waltz. So if all of you could please find yourself a partner, please join us in the second ball room, where the main dancing will be held." He gestured to the extra set of double doors off the right with his glass of champagne. As my twin spoke, I studied the crowd with a calculating gaze. They didn't know who I was. No doubt they were familiar with the rest of my family but to them I was a stranger.

In the crowd I noticed Elena, looking quite stunning in her black and gold dress, Caroline in her pretty light blue one, and the Salvatore's. Oh I knew all about them. Both deeply in love with Elena and complete opposites. One dark and broody while the other is humorous with a tendency for violence. I knew Stefan from his time with Nik. The Ripper. It was hard **not **to notice the vicious killings springing up, unhidden all over America.

I knew Damon through clean up duty, and friendship. I never told him I was an Original when we met. He didn't need to know. He laughed and joked and generally had a good time together. We also travelled America, one step behind Stefan, cleaning up his mess before people started asking too many questions. We were a good team, Damon and I. Fooled around together before for we both got itchy feet and decided to go our separate ways. He never told me about Katherine. He never told me how in love with her, he was, how obsessed he was. I could have told him she was alive and well, not giving a damn about the world. I would have. But sadly I never found out until she came to me not six months ago, bragging about how she had corrupted the famous Salvatore bond yet again with her filth. I then realised who Damon's mystery love was; and I felt pity.

Damon was looking at me right now with a mixture of shock, confusion and happiness. I threw him a wink before descending the stairs with the rest of my family and leading the way to the second ballroom. I looked over my shoulder quickly to see Damon and Stefan sharing a word before Damon walked off towards Elena and offered her his arm. I looked back at Stefan and saw him making his way towards me. I stopped walking and waited for him to reach me. He bowed slightly and offered me his hand. "Miss Knight," that was the name I was going by when I was with Damon and of course he still knew no different. "May I have this dance?"

I smiled and curtseyed slightly. "Of course, Mr Salvatore." I took his hand and he led me to the middle of the dance floor where we took out place among the other couples. Damon and Elena were stood a few feet away from us and I grinned at him quickly before looking around further. I was surprised to see Nik with Caroline, looking immensely pleased with himself while Kol was across the room with a woman I didn't recognise. He probably didn't know her either. I saw Rebekah further off to my right with a tall, blonde, blue-eyed boy. Very cute. I looked over at Finn and saw him very proud to have Sage on his arm once more. Elijah was also with somebody I didn't know but I didn't have time to dwell on it because suddenly the music started and we were off, waltzing in sync with every other couple around the room.

We glided in and out of the other dancers, moving in time with the fantastic orchestra. "So, Stefan," I began. "It appears you have straightened yourself out again. Who helped you this time without Damon and me cleaning up after you?"

If this was news to Stefan, he did not show it. "I…no one really. I'm not a full blown ripper, nor am I back to my 'bunny eating' ways. I am at a healthy middle, as it were."

I nodded slowly, taking this in. It seems my brother had not managed to completely corrupt this man's life. "What of you and Rebekah? I heard you two had made quite the connection back in the 20s."

"Mmm, yeah. We did, I think." Stefan said, smiling.

I, however, frowned. "Think?"

"Klaus, er, compelled me to forget. He then compelled me to remember but I didn't want to remember so I, sorta, ignored it. I can't remember much about my relationship with Rebekah apart from that it was short, sorta fling, type thing." He shook his head slightly, frowning at the memories he wished he didn't have.

Suddenly, the music changed slightly and I knew we would be changing partners any minute now. "Thank you for your time, Mr Salvatore; you truly are a wonderful dancer."

He bowed his head and gave me a kind smile before letting me go and joining hands with the woman next to him. I turned and suddenly found myself in Damon's arms.

"Well hello, Isabella. Long time, no see." He gave me a cheeky smirk which quickly turned into a hard look. "You have _a lot _of explaining to do."


	18. Chapter 17

**Elena Gilbert POV**

I gave Damon one last kiss on the cheek before I was twirled out of his arms and into the arms of a stranger. He was tall, with short dirty blonde hair and stormy grey eyes. He stared at me with a mixture of amazement and judgement. "Elena Gilbert." The man muttered. "The doppelganger."

My insides turned to ice. I desperately wanted to pull him away from the party and interrogate him but we were in the middle of the dance floor and Damon would throw a hissy fit if I was out of his sight in this house. I also wanted to run to Damon and hide behind him while he sorted this out but I knew I couldn't do that either. I was going to be a vampire soon. I had to learn to fight for myself. I looked the stranger dead in the eye as we continued our movements around the marble floor. "And you are?"

The stranger gave a sort of twisted smile; his grey eyes twinkled in amusement. "That is for me to know for the time being and for you to ponder on until I see fit for you to know." He had strong British accent, one that mimicked the Mikaelson's. I suddenly had an idea about who this could be. But no. That was impossible. There was no way that this could be him. Katherine had searched everywhere for him; he was not in his resting place or anywhere around it. He was completely gone but yet here he was. No, he wasn't. Yes, he was. A dull ache began in my stomach. Yes, it was. The resemblance between Klaus and this man was too uncanny to be pure coincidence. I wonder what they'll do when they see him. Will his presence be welcome? Surely not considering he chased his children around the world and it was only when Klaus himself entrapped them that they were free from one menace and in the hands of another.

Mikael, father to; Finn, Elijah and Isabella, Niklaus, Kol and Rebekah was dancing with me right now. The chances of his motives being good were so slim that I didn't even bother to grasp them. I watched him warily as he studied me. I didn't like his gaze. My eyes flickered across the room, in search of Damon. I found him dancing with Isabella and talking animatedly. I willed for him to turn his head and look at me so I could show I was in trouble but Isabella had his undivided attention. Considering my situation I was quite surprised to feel jealousy burning in me. They were talking like old friends, smiling and laughing together. There was no way that Damon would get on with a Mikaelson that well. Maybe he didn't know she was related to them. Yes, that had to be it. Mikael followed me gaze across to his daughter and his fingers flexed slightly around my waist.

Of course, he still wanted them dead. That's probably why he had returned; to help Esther and kill them. Mikael turned his head back to me as he led me around the room. "Damon Salvatore. Yours, I presume?"

I nodded stiffly. I didn't want to talk about Damon, not with him, too dangerous. "Your daughter Isabella, I presume?" I knew I was treading on thin ice with that remark.

His eyes turned to slits and his hands became unbreakable holds. "You know about me, about my family? You know what they are and what they have done?" He demanded.

The music came to an abrupt yet equally beautiful end and I wrenched my hands out of his iron grip. "I know who you are, what you are and why you are here. Leave me and my friends _out of it_." I swirled and stalked out of the second ball room, shaking slightly. That had not been a friendly meeting and I had hoped it would have gone better. I knew it was only a matter of time before the father showed up but even so I had been completely unprepared for that. And what was Damon doing with Isabella? How did he know her? I turned to look for Damon and suddenly he was there, right in front of me. He gave me his signature smirk. "Miss me?" He swooped down for a kiss but I ducked and pushed him back slightly. He frowned and tried again. "How do you know Isabella?"

He froze then pulled back and looked at me in surprise. "How do _you _know Isabella?"

I realised my mistake. "It's complicated. _How do you know Isabella?_"

Damon raised an unimpressed eyebrow. "It's complicated."

I huffed. "Elijah introduced her to me as his twin sister. Reasons for that are my own, now how the _hell _do you know her?" I snapped.

Damon appeared to be absorbing this piece of information and thought carefully before he answered. "She helped me clean up after Stefan while he was off running around with her baby bro, happy?"

I nodded then pulled him by his lapels for a kiss. Suddenly, Elijah, Isabella and Klaus were next to us, Klaus looking slightly panicked and the twins looking identically indifferent. "We have a problem." Klaus said grimly.

* * *

I'm so so so so sorry its taken so long and i'm so so so so sorry that it is so short! Major life upheavel plus pretty bad writers block.

i think i know where the stories going now though so i think im all better. so on with the show, me thinks ;)

Review and tell me what you brilliant people think!


	19. Chapter 18

**Isabella Mikaelson POV**

This cannot be happening! This can_not _be happening! All the work we put in trying to evade him and now he suddenly comes swaggering in to our house like he owns the lace, acting as if he's meant to be there. There is no part in this family for him. I watched Elena and Damon pull a part with a blank look on my face, completely different to the turmoil of emotions behind the mask. Beside me, my brothers filled Damon in on the new status of events. Since Damon was unaware of Esther's latest plot, he was not as concerned about our fathers evening appearance back into our lives. Nik didn't know about Esther either, but he hated Mikael much more than the rest of us just as Mikael hates Nik more than us. They never got on in human life and in immortality they were at each-others' throats literally.

Nik was livid and, although he would never admit it, a little bit scared. If anyone had the brute power to end his life, it was Mikael, and Nik knew that. I watched him as he trembled slightly in fear. I placed a comforting hand on his arm. He calmed beneath my touch.

"So, daddy's back looking for trouble, we believe?" Damon asked, watching me closely.

I nodded. "There is no other reason for him to be here other than to continue the task he set out to do in the first place. A few years' incarceration won't have diminished his demand for our heads. He's not like that."

Damon looked worried. "We can count on your mother for help though, right?"

Elijah and I exchanged an identical glance and Elena tensed. "We are not sure. Mikael may have been a domineering and sometimes cruel human at the time but he and mother did share a bond that even now I do not understand. There will always be a chance that she may turn her backs to us once more and help Mikael in his plan." I chose my words carefully. Nik looked at me sadly. He didn't want rejection from his mother again, not after he had just gotten her back. When he finds out of her true intentions it will break him. I looked back to Damon and Elena. "You two should leave. Elijah and I have got this. You don't want to be dragged into something you needn't be a part of."

Damon nodded tensely and led Elena by the arm towards the door. She appeared to be struggling and refusing. Nik turned to Elijah and I. "What do we do?" He sounded old and slightly choked, as if he were forcing the words out.

Elijah took charge. "Go find Caroline. Inform her of the situation and give her the choice to leave. Do not force her. Extra hands are not unwelcome at a time like this. We can count on the Salvatore's for help when desperately needed but not a moment before. Isabella and I will go find the others and tell them Father is back. Let's see what they make of that."

Nik nodded stiffly before disappearing into the crowd of clueless humans. I turned to Elijah, worry finally leaking into my features. "We're dead, Elijah. With Mother and Father both against us we haven't a chance in the world."

To my horror, Elijah nodded in agreement. "We are of the same mind with this. No, I do not think we will survive this. That does not mean we will not go without a fight." We wore matching smiles of triumph and began to survey the crowd for our siblings. Finn was dancing with Sage, both looking beautifully happy in their little bubble, Bekah and Kol appeared to have vanished. "That can't be good." Elijah muttered.

Just as the sentence was finished, a disturbance sounded from the floor above in the shape of a loud bang and a yell of pain followed by another bang and a _crack_.

We shared glances of unease before making our way calmly towards the marble staircase, Finn and Sage hot on our heels. We walked swiftly down the corridor, passing the bedroom doors which were all silent, towards the balcony at the end of the corridor. The door was parted slightly and a gentle breeze tousled the silk curtains covering the window. Elijah led the way through and he and I froze in horror. There was Kol lying on the floor in an unnatural position. It made sense now. The crack had been his neck which was now extremely mangled and sticking out in bad places. The attacker was nowhere to be seen. I walked over and knelt beside my brother's dead body and began pushing the bones back into place around his neck to speed his healing. Behind me I heard Elijah turn and speak to Finn.

"Round up every supernatural being in this house and bring them here. We'll see who answers to this." Finn nodded and turned to leave.

"Don't tell mother." I added hastily. She didn't have to know about this. I had my money on her having done this, anyway. And if not her then Mikael. Only they or the rest of siblings would have the strength to take down Kol. I think.

Finn returned a moment later with Nik, Caroline, Rebekah, Damon, Stefan and a tearful Elena. Elijah and I studied their expressions as they took in Kol's body. Nobody was giving anything away. Nik turned to Damon and Stefan. "I probably don't have to ask because I have my money on Damon but still; who did this?"

Stefan instantly turned and looked at Damon who raised his eyebrows for a moment before meeting my gaze. Guilt filled his eyes for a moment before being replaced with a hard expression, cold. "Sorry. My mistake. Won't happen again." He then turned to Elena. "God forbid I become a _problem_." He then walked out into the corridor and disappeared. Stefan, Caroline and Elena looked us over a few times before leaving as well. Caroline threw Nik a small smile.

Suddenly Kol woke with a shuddering breath. He looked murderous.

"Where is he?" Kol snarled eyes bright and deadly. He made to sit up and cried out in pain, clutching his shoulder. I gently pushed him back down and pulled his jacket off. I opened his shirt and studied the shoulder. There was a bone sticking out oddly. I threw Kol an apologetic look before shoving the bone back into place. It healed almost instantly. "Thank you." He huffed before accepting Elijah's helping hand up. Suddenly, it appeared he'd flipped a switch and was now switching to anger. "_Where is he? I'll kill him!_"

Elijah held him back as Kol made for the door. "No, Kol. The Salvatore's are valuable. We need them."

Kol turned back, an almost puppy-like look on his face. "_I'm _valuable."

I giggled and got up. Things were back to normal. "I'm glad you'll all together now. We need to talk." All eyes were on me. Elijah came to stand beside me. "About ten minutes ago, Mikael was sighted in the house." Gasps of shock erupted around the balcony. "His intentions are unclear, though I'm sure we can all make a good guess, and we are completely unprepared."

"But surely we can rely on mother to help us?" Rebekah interjected. "She came back so we could all be a family again. She won't let Mikael ruin that all over again, will she?"

It was so hard trying to keep the pretence up, especially to Bekah, but I just couldn't tell them, not now, now yet. "Maybe, but remember, when Mikael turned his back on Nik she followed suit. She did whatever he told her to do. How do we know that hasn't changed? If he asks for her help, how can we be sure that she will decline and help us?" I was almost begging them. I wanted to know the answer to these questions as badly as they did, I wanted someone to give me all the answers and tell me everything was fine, that my mother didn't want me dead and she did want me and she did want us to be a family. It was a fool's hope but hope none-the-less. A hope that we all shared for a moment before we realised that none of us had the answers. We couldn't trust our own mother.

Finn took a deep breath. "So, what do we do?"

"We do nothing." Elijah answered. "We wait. We watch. We act only when necessary. If they don't think we suspect then they will bide their time. That should give us enough time to think up a proper course of action. We don't know their plan yet, they may not even have one, and that is thought that we must hang onto. Are we all at agreement?"

My siblings and I nodded sadly then they each made their way out of the balcony and back to the party which was still in full swing. Before Kol could leave, however, Elijah dragged him back to me. "What did you do, Kol?" I asked.

Kol scoffed. "Why is it that you think _I _started it when it could just have easily been Salvatore?"

It was our turn to scoff. "Because we know you, Kol. Damon wouldn't act unless provoked, not in our house. What did you do?" I asked him again, my patience wearing thin.

"I may have busted Rebekah's boyfriend's hand a bit. Damon saw and acted. I don't know why he was so bothered though. I think he and his lover have had a bit of a tiff." Kol smirked.

Elijah took a threatening step forward. "Leave them out of this, Kol. Leave them all out of this. We have affected their lives enough just by being here. They don't need to be a part of family business."

Kol took his threat with a menacing look and stepped forward as well. The earlier scene with Nik seemed to be repeating itself. I held up one hand, making them both freeze and look at me.

"Rebekah has a boyfriend?" I asked Kol, ignoring Elijah's incredulous stare.

Kol grinned widely. "Yes, a human named Matt Donavon or something like that. An old ex of Elena _and _Caroline."

Rebekah in love with a human? Impossible. I voiced my unbelieving views.

"Oh, she's not in love with him. I think it's just a plan to get at Elena and Caroline. The three of them don't really see eye to eye." Kol explained.

I nodded slowly, taking it in. Things just kept getting more and more complicated. Why did my siblings have to be so impulsive? I let out a sigh. Kol excused himself back to the party with a promise that he wouldn't care any more trouble. Elijah let him go with a warning glare.

"Let him go." I said. "We have bigger problems than a jealous little brother, Elijah."

He nodded and together we set off back to the party, minds turning on the recent troubling and down- right _scary _events.

* * *

Hey hey hey. Soooooooooooooo sorry this has taken so long. I've been on holiday and there wasn't any wifi! HOW AWFUL! Anyway I'm back now and here it is. Please review and don't bite my head off ;)


	20. Chapter 19

**Rebekah Mikaelson POV**

"I told you to leave him alone!" I cried before slapping my brother across the face. He head snapped to the side.

"Ow! You crazy bitch!" Kol wailed, clutching his throbbing cheek. "I thought we had a plan! You told me to meet you upstairs, you weren't there but he was."

I grabbed the lapels of his jacket and shoved him up against the wall. "I told you we weren't doing that anymore because of mother's orders. Don't pretend you didn't hear me you bastard. Leave Matt out of this." I threw him down the corridor and flashed to my room.

The party was over now. There were no guests to entertain or _save_. Isabella and Elijah had changed clothes and disappeared off into the night. Nik had been busy drawing and had taken that drawing somewhere. Finn and Sage were welcoming Mikael. I was all on my own. Apparently I couldn't even go to my own mother for comfort because there was a chance that she could turn around and kill me! How did my life ever end up this bad? What did I do in my human life to deserve this? I was always the good girl, never a foot out of line or a hair out of place.

I threw myself onto my bed and buried my head in a pillow. Memories of my previous life came flashing before my eyes. Nik and I sitting by the fire in our families hut on the long, cold winter nights. Elijah and Isabella buried in their mysterious books that only they could understand. Only they were taught to read. Our father would never allow us to learn such an unimportant skill when we could be out working in fields or preparing clothing and food. Our mother taught them in secret. I remember the deep, burning jealousy I felt every time they both ran off into the woods together, hand in hand. They had each other. Who did I have? A father who couldn't give any of us the time of day or a mother who doted over her favourite son. It hurt to think about Henrik.

Suddenly my walls that had taken centuries to build all came crumbling down in seconds. Tears socked my pillow and sobs racked my body. Why was everything so complicated? I just want a family. Seeing Isabella again had been the high light of the century and already there are complications and problems and _life threatening _situations. Then the sadness began to ebb away, quickly replaced by anger. What did I do wrong? It wasn't my fault I was what I was! I shouldn't have to die for my mother's mistakes. I also shouldn't be laid here moping. If these are to be my last days I may as well do them in style.

Taking a deep breath, a got off the bed, changed into some skinny jeans and a tight, black blouse and strutted out of the mansion, head held high. It was time to have some fun.

* * *

I'm sorry it's so short! This writers block aint going away. I have a vague idea as to where this story is going but i need your help! Review and give me some ideas if you want this story to continue :( please...


	21. Chapter 20

THIS IS NOT AN UPDATE!

I'm afraid that my computer broke down a few days ago and had to be completely rebooted. All of my chapters for 'The Last Family Member' have been deleted. I'm really sorry for this and I want to thank you for all the great reviews I have been given.

I am going to try and write the story again with more detail, so hopefully it will be a new and improved version. Please stick with me and look out for that though it may not come out for a while. Keep your eyes on this story because I will add more updates about my latest stories here.

Again, very sorry about losing all the chapters but this gives me the chance to rewrite it and make it A LOT better. Review if you would like anything to be added in or you want the story to go a certain way.

You've all been great. I hope to be reading your reviews soon.

Dead2theworld xxx


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